polar star
by fun to imagine
Summary: 1950: a ford trimotor disappears carrying a mysterious passenger and an even mysterious box 1976: Canadian air jet 105 is hijack and the person doing it gets away with two million dollars. Present day: Michelle Tanner while on a field trip make a discovery that launches her on an adventure with Dirk Pitt
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

_Brickman Airfield_

_Ontario Canada 1950_

The ford trimotor plane bore the look of a ghost. Perhaps the snow on its wings bred the image, or perhaps it originated from steam created by water person entering the aircraft and the box being stowed only enhanced the creepy scene.

Todd Hamilton who shoved an envelope into Frank Paulson hand gave the the airplane one last look.

"The trip to Atkinson will be the first length of the trip. Once your done, you deliver the box to Tiffany's."

"Providing the leg over the Great Lakes doesn't give us any trouble."

"Is she onboard?"

"Yeah."

"And the box?"

"Securely fasten."

"There is nothing more."

"Why are you sending it to Tiffany's? Why not Cartiers?"

"You are to follow your orders regardless of how absurd they are."

"Yes sir."

"Oh, by the way."

"Yes."

"Good luck."

He pulled open the door to the ford trimotor and without saying good bye, climbed in. Ray Valentine, Paulson's co-pilot, preocupied his time by going over the weater forecast. Neither of them looked at the female passenger.

"What's Miami beach like?" Paulson inquired to Valentine.

"Can't say we'll have a smooth trip. A blizzard is forming on the shores of Lake Michigan."

A worried look came over paulson face, which didn't go unnoticed by Valentine. The pilot looked at the small metal box strapped to the planes floor and tried to mon up a way to get it open.

His contemplation was interupted by Ray Valentine. "All warmed up and ready to fly."

The first engine turn over followed by the other the aircraft began to taxi down the runway.

Todd Hamilton watch the plane crawl like a bug and a phone rang and he answered it.

" She wants to know did you give her a good send off?'

"You may inform Dr. Teller that she's on her way home."

"When will she arrive?"

"Oh, two days from now if nothing happens."

"Too bad! Most people don't know she's been living in Canada. But she wants to die in America."

Todd Hamilton hesitated in what seemed a long and horrible silenced. "Yes, Mr. Prime Minister. Thats how she wishes it to be."

During the next three hours, the plan evolved. The plane would disppear, making it seem that the passenger and the pilot and the co-pilot would be a casuaty of the unpredictable weather of the great lakes.

Frank Paulson got out of his seat and walked back to the rear of the airplane. Before he could get to the box the planes interior was filled with smoke.

"Ray?"

"Yeah?"

"What's going on?"

"Short in the radio and the wings are icing up. Were going down.."

"Can you see where to put down anywhere?"

"A field," Ray shouted. " a great big beautiful field."

There was no time to prepare her for a crash. It would be a land and hope the plane didn't tear itself apart. The field loomed and the landing gear scraped the ground and buckled. And then the aircraft rested, tilted to one side.

"Thank god. We did it." Ray mumbled.

Frank smiled coldly holding a smith and wesson revolver. His mind set a new plan. A series of frost covered window would hide his murderous deed. Slowly he crept up behind her and pointed the gun at the back of his head, then he do Ray in. They wouldn't know what hit them.

A rumbling vibration suddenly shook the ford trimotor, followed by a sharp cracking noise and the screech of metal beeing bent and twisted.

The white outside the window dissolved into a dense wall of icy inkiness and then there was nothin.

At her office at oak ridge, Dr. Teller studied the flight plan of the ford tri-motor. The desk phone rang and she picked it up.

"Yes?"

" Dr. Teller? A familiar voice said

"Yes Mr. President?"

"You left notice of an idea for the public to contemplate whatever has happen is a mystery."

"True," said Teller quietly. "I see no sense in wasting hours of searching."

"In your opinion what really happened."

"She's lying on the bottom of the Great Lakes." Answered Teller

"you feel she hasn't a chance of resurfacing?"

"I do."

"I'll close the file and bury it deep."

Dr. Teller set the receiver in the cradle and went stared at the flight plan again "Where did you go?" she said aloud to herself "Where are you?"

The reply never came. Nothing ever turn up. It was as if the ford trimotor flew into limbo.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

_September 12 1976_

_Somewhere over Alberta Canada_

None of the flight crew of Canadian air jet 105 never suspected as he slipped the vial from his breast pocket. Shortly before he left his office two days earlier he dropped on the desk of Admiral John Cunnington an envelope.

The hijacker was immune to morality. He had grown use to the idea of extortion. Incarceration if caught meant nothing to him. The serviceman had plan long and hard for the money.

Methodically he slipped the flight attendant the notes. He already had a Cessna ready for his escape.

Eight minutes had passed.

He heard the flight attendant talking to the pilot who had radio ahead. The aircraft began to descend.

* * *

In the galley one of the flight attendants tilted her head, observing.

"Why are we landing?" She asked

Janet Thacker, the chief steward, stepped into the galley, and made her lay flat on the floor. She could hear whine of police sirens in the distance.

An hour after the plane landed, The plane was refueled, taxied down the runway and took off.

"Its True," She said. "I think they won't allow us to land."

"What makes you think that?"

"I overheard one of the pilots say that they dispatched a couple of jets to shoot us down."

A female passenger came up to them and took Janet Thacker aside. "We just took off and now were landing. " She said in her ear.

Janet hesitated, thinking that the pilot was going do something desperate. Better to be desperate than for him to succeed. The safety of the passengers came first. She lifted the intercom phone to her ear and pressed the cockpit call button.

"Captain, Janet Thacker here. Why are we landing?"

"Because that's what he order."

"And we're going to give in to his demands?"

"And were going to give in to his demands."

* * *

Back in the passenger compartment, the hijacker, with his money got up and walk to the rear, and peered through a window. The landing gear touched down on the highway, but he still had the vial in his pocket.

The atmosphere was quiet. The only noise was the squealing of tires as they came in contact with the highway.

The hijacker's eyes search the countryside and he could make out a barn, waiting for his partner in crime.

It would not work out like it was originally plan.

Finally exiting the plane and walked to a waiting aircraft. The stillness of the country side, silent and remote. He handles a pen gun and waited for the Cessna to come out of a barn. Next he ordered his partner out to help load the money and shot him. He became aware that people had seen him, disposing of his partner, and informed the authority's. He got into the plane and then called for the weather.

"A sudden storm over the prairies. But if you head completely south you will avoid a major F-5 tornado."

"Copy." He started the Cessna, and took off.

Twenty hours later, after changing direction than he received, the hijacker's plane started to shudder. The hijacker tried to regain control, but the shuddering increase. A deep rumbling originated from behind, causing the plane to pitch down. the rudder snapped off, and it flew through the air like a boomerang. The last of thing the hijacker saw before the surge of water was the breaking of glass.

* * *

Three days later, a midwest farm boy found a bundle of money, which was later identified as Canadian dollars. The money, turned over to the police, disappeared from the evidence locker.

A search was launch, and a timely old hermit was found a couple of weeks and had been placed in an asylum. No other money had turned up. All the police found otherwise was a Canadian airmen uniform.

The mystery deepen when the boy who found the money died of an unknown type of illness became another lost treasure tale and the hijacker became part of a Canadian unsolved mystery.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter two

_Present day_

_Air and space museum_

_Washington D.C._

As in an action movie, armed gunmen attack Michele Tanners class trip. She knocked Denise down as a hail of bullet just missed her.

"Thanks." She said.

"Quick! Hide in the spirit of St Louis while I hide in the Lockheed Elektra over there."

Denise open the door to the Spirit of St. Louis and climbed in. As soon as Michelle entered the Lockheed a bunch of scraps of papers landed on her head and an arm man grabbed her leg

"My uncle Jessy won't be happy that you're hurting me."

"You're going to give me those papers."

"My daddy told me to never to talk to stranger."

"LeVault sent me to get those papers. This is an order. Hand them over."

Michelle raised her other leg and kicked him. it made him let him go. Then she crawled to the cockpit and started to flip switches hoping it would alert the police. She watched the engines cough and the propellers begin to spin. A few seconds later the plane crashed through the front of the museum. She was surprised that the planes gas tanks were full-far more then a short hop. The plane was going on an extended flight.

It was as if a familiar feeling had wash over her. The instrument panel clearly showed the plane was increasing speed. Michelle pulled the wheel back and barely miss the washington mall.

Closing in on the Lockheed was an immense jumbo jet with intent on landing. Michelle instantly swung the wheel and turned the plane north. The terrain below turned to shoreline, and then to ocean. She scanned for any visible vessels. There wasn't any, and a storm was coming in. This, Michelle immediately recognized, was not the time to ditch the plane.

She estimated the storm would overtake her in an hour. Without thinking she swung the plane east and the pieces of paper flew in her face.. Quickly she grabbed them and stuffed them in her pants pockets.

Without warning a bullet hole appeared in the windshield. A burst of gunfire destroyed the artificial horizon. Michelle pulled back on the wheel but kept heading east. Then the gunmen weapon suddenly went clicked. Michelle heard the gun being reloaded but she threw him off his feet before he could get a shot off. She looped the plane a couple more times and flew vertical. In trying to climb to the cockpit, the gunmen slipped and flew out the cabin door. Only then did Michelle headed west. The storm still held off, its winds only increase slightly. Far below, an island with a dirt road and a semi trailer rumbling along carrying a tarp covered object.

With unnerving concentration, she ease forward the throttle and pulled back the wheel, touching the tires down before taking off and just barely missing the semi.


End file.
